Sixpence None The Richer
| Sixpence None the Richer | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New Braunfels, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Christian rock |
| Years active | 1992–2004, 2007–present |
| Labels | R.E.X., Flying Tart, Squint, Reprise, Credential, RCA |
| Members |
Leigh Nash Matt Slocum Justin Cary Rob Mitchell |
| Past members | Brad Arnold Dale Baker Tess Wiley Joel Bailey James Arhelger J.J. Plasencio Sean Kelly Jerry Dale McFadden Tobin Behling |
Sixpence None the Richer (also known as Sixpence) is an American alternative Christian rock band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is inspired by a passage from the book Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. The band received a Grammy Award nomination to Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Kiss Me" in 2000.
Vocalist Leigh Nash described the origin of the band's name on the Late Show with David Letterman:
It comes from a book by C. S. Lewis called Mere Christianity. A little boy asks his father if he can get a sixpence—a very small amount of English currency—to go and get a gift for his father. The father gladly accepts the gift and he's really happy with it, but he also realizes that he's not any richer for the transaction. C.S. Lewis was comparing that to his belief that God has given him, and us, the gifts that we possess, and to serve Him the way we should, we should do it humbly—realizing how we got the gifts in the first place.
Guitarist/songwriter Matt Slocum met Leigh Nash in the early 1990s. They recorded a demo, which circulates as "The Original Demos", with bassist T.J. Behling at Verge Music Works recording studio in Dallas, and eventually an album, The Fatherless and the Widow, for the independent label REX Music in 1993. The record featured Chris Dodds (a member of Love Coma, in which Slocum also played guitar). Shortly after the release of The Fatherless and the Widow, Slocum left Love Coma to pursue Sixpence None the Richer full-time. The band added Tess Wiley (guitar), Joel Bailey (bass) and Dale Baker (drums) to tour in support of The Fatherless and The Widow. On this tour the band traveled the US, opening for the Choir, the newly reformed 10,000 Maniacs, Audio Adrenaline, Pray For Rain, Over The Rhine, and more. In the fall of 1994, the band left for their first tour of Europe. The club and festival tour saw them performing with bands such as the Proclaimers, Newsboys, Julie & Buddy Miller, and many more. The band added J.J. Plasencio (bass) for 1995's This Beautiful Mess. Both albums were produced by Armand John Petri, who also managed the band from 1993 to 1997. Shortly after the release of This Beautiful Mess, Wiley left the band.
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